QUEER THE PAGE.LGBTQ COMMUNITY-BUILDING VIA COMMUNAL WRITING.SAT 24 MAY. 1-3 PM

REGULAR 4TH SATURDAY OF MONTH WRITING MEET.

SAFER-SPACE LGBTQ (18+) Group for writers at ANY stage/any genre: beginners to advanced.
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*LGBTQ(18+) writers ONLY.*.

A MERSEYSIDE LGBTQ(18+) safer-space group.
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With the recent Supreme Court's Ruling and the EHRC interpretation/"guidance" of it-and all the worries and hurt this is causing trans/non-gender-binary/non-gender conforming/intersex people- we are going to WRITE LGBTQ COMMUNITY, including a COMMUNAL WRITING EXTRAVAGANZA to end our session.

If you have ANTI TRANS/ANTI NON-GENDER CONFORMING/ANTI NON-GENDER-BINARY AND/OR ANTI-INTERSEX PEOPLE VIEWS/OPINIONS, you are NOT WELCOME at this meeting, or any other meetings of "Queer The Page".

There are many other forums if people wish to debate these issues.

PLEASE NOTE: This may well be a triggering painful issue for some/all of us, (in differing but parallel ways).

If you think this may make you feel too distressed/uncomfortable, please think carefully about attending. However, support will be provided by the Organiser.

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The session will be facilitated by our Organiser, Steve Benson(he/him), who is published in a number of anthologies, including "Queer Writing for a Brave new World"(pub Modernist Society and "Out on the Page").

(see details further down this post)

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PRIVATE ROOM
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* PLEASE NOTE: it can be a bit nerve-wracking to attend a group for the first time; but we are very friendly:)

*The group is suitable/welcoming to LGBTQ(18+) people who have just come out/just arrived in the area(as well as regular attenders!)*
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VENUE:

QUAKER (FRIENDS') MEETING HOUSE),22 SCHOOL LANE,Liverpool L1 3BT.
Pls read directions section.

WE MEET BETWEEN 12.45 AND 1 PM, in the FOYER of the Friends Meeting House(entrance School Lane).

STEVE (Organiser/Host, see profile pic)WILL BE IN THE FOYER TO GREET YOU:)

NB If you arrive after 1 pm , ask their Receptionist what room we are in, and knock on the door!
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COST
£5 PER ATTENDEE: covers room rental cost;no profit is made;we are wholly unfunded.
*Payable to Steve at start of the event, preferably CASH.(but direct Bank transfer is fine too*
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FORMAT/CONTENT OF TODAY:

PREPARATION:

Write(PREFERABLY TYPE-WRITTEN, but hand-written is fine too) a short piece (3 minutes, max, reading aloud time), WITHOUT your name on it, and have a HARD(paper)-COPY to give to Steve.

Write on the THEME of: how you see LGBTQ Community in the past/present/future,particuarly stressing periods when we have come/acted together in times of being under attack(write in ANY genre)

ON THE DAY

Steve will collect, then hand the hard copies around the group(you might end up getting your own; that' fine, but don't let on!); and we each read aloud ONE piece.

As people read their adopted piece, jot down, any images/words/ideas/themes you find of(possible) interest!

Line by Line , we then write a GROUP POEM; and see what we come up with as a LGBTQ (writing) COMMUNITY.

If time allows, we can then develop this further.

THERE WILL BE A SHORT BREAK IN THE MIDDLE!

REMEMBER: We all have our INDIVIDUAL struggles and joys(and in-between bits!), but there are parallels, where we can learn from each other and unite, eg the struggle around clause 28 in the late 1980s and the paralells (language/tone/restrictons) with the Supreme Court ruling and its" Interpretation" so recently.....
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OUR GROUP'S FEEDBACK MODEL:

CONSTRUCTIVE, DEVELOPMENTAL FEEDBACK.
so ENCOURAGEMENT; but ALSO, the way FORWARD for your peer writers, eg "you could DEVELOP a character /image further, perhaps"

YOU can also request the kind of feedback(or NO feedback) you want!

PLEASE REMEMBER ALL CRITIQUE/FEEDBACK IS SUBJECTIVE; and that writing is a very subjective and personal thing.

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OUR GROUP'S (GENERAL)TRIGGER WARNING SUBJECTS:

ANY sexual or physical abuse.
Large amounts of violence generally
ANY references to suicide,including THOUGHTS of suicide(ideation)
ANY references to self-harm.

If any of these subjects come up- in the prepared, or in the on-the-day writing- please alert the group,BEFORE you start reading your piece; and we shall decide(as a group) whether we-collectively-feel ok with you reading of this material.------------------------------------------------------------

FACILITIES

There is, sometimes, tea/coffee available(cheaply) from the on-site ground floor cafe; but we can use one of their kitchens(there is one on each floor;some rooms have one attached!)

Coffee(instant)/tea/milk(cows only) and sugar is also provided by our regulars:)

Venue kitchen has crockery cups cutlery.

U can bring take -out drinks and food.

If you want NON-cows milk, please bring ur own(there is a fridge)
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ACCESSIBILITY:
THE VENUE IS COMPLETELY WHEELCHAIR ACCESSIBLE: lift 2 all floors, room for wheelchairs in all rooms
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LOOKING FORWARD TO MEETING NEWCOMERS AND REGULARS:)